The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1881.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 665, 12 January 1881, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1881.

It is nearly a year ago since a fresh ; in the "Waipona broke through the ■road at the northern entrance to Masjterton, and. as yet there is no sign of it again being made passable, it present there is a rough ford which is, ;more or less, a risk to horses and vehicles crossing it.. But. in the coming autumn and winter, traffic will Jiiecesßarily be in terra pted at intervals by every fresh in the river. The princifial 'countiy districts which feed 'Masterton' a.ro dependent upon this' crossing, and it says little for "the enterprise of the borough that it does <not overcome a • comparatively small 'difficulty which is very prejudicial to its interests. Some time ago a plan ■ was'proposed by which a substantial 'bridge could have been" obtained, but the Borough Council did not favor the. iproposal, and as it required its concurrence it-fell through, •• The question is partly a County one, partly a Highway. Board one, and .partly a Borough"one'.' We understand.that.thp County and 'Highway' Board were at the time; we. refer to, willing to make •air' effort to put the matter'right, but apparently .the Borough Council was not. equally anxious, and yet it is the town .which is the principal sufferer by the'present state of. affairs. If is unfortunate-that-there is not more, harmonious action between the Board and the Borough,,' Lat.tcrjy the two bodies have .appeared to be very ni.ucji {it loggerheads, ; The"*' 'Borough Council treated...the Board' Engineer's opinion on the matter of .the Waipoua Bridge planking with acertain amount of'contempt, and that, gentleman, naturally enough, responded ' by throwing a.-stqne /tt the amateur engineers connected with the Borough, The quarrel is a verypi'ett'y quarrel as it stands, and is not without its comic element, -but unfortunately the result .' of it is an unpleasant feeling between the High way, Board and the Borough Council, by which /thepublicinterests are suffering, ' We ; would like to"'see a better state. of things prevail. The Mayor .of Masterton has been to a : certain extent-' responsible for' the

(1 differenco which lias existed,...by speak- ', ing strongly in public agaihst.the pip-. [1 fessional skill of local engineers; Probably in.doing so he did. not conB template the mischief which has been - the outcome of the sentiments which ho has • enunciated. One of his chief | merits as amemberof the Council and as its head • lias undoubtedly been an : honest desire to prevent personal feel- ■ ing from prejudicing public questions. , Good-humored forbearance has been almost tlie cardinal point in his policy.' Unfortunately he has not been/equally sensible of the practical importance of a good "understanding with the Highway Board, and hence ,at< the present time there wo'iikl appear- to be a poor, prospect of i:Jie: two bodies working together harmoniously, "We have n decided conviction that if His Worship the Mayor and the Chairman of the highway Board took' counsel together over the Waipnua question sbiiie way could-be found to get rid of the present 'dangerous ford. As public men it is their duty in the mterests-.of the ratepayers whom .they represent to do all in their power to mend tho broken link'. The road by tho Waipoua as it is no.w'.is.a disgrace to both town- and ico'untry, and the public will be'"'disposed', to condemn' both professional and amateur engineers as' unprofitable servants if .neither, ouo-nor. the other setsthe "matter-, right. Is Mast'erton (luring the coming winter to be cut off .from-the country districts by the Waipoua ? This is a question which ougb fc to- i be thought over by all interested iir i its welfare. With harmonious action i between the Board and the CounciLthe I answer will, we feel certain, be .an ' emphatic No!